Bhatia Wins Arnold Palmer
Akshay Bhatia won the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, overcoming a missed 30-inch par putt and five-shot deficit to outduel Daniel Berger in a playoff. The victory broke Patrick Reed's PGA Tour record and ended beneath a dramatic rainbow at the course.
The victory marked the first playoff at the Arnold Palmer Invitational since 1999, when Tim Herron defeated Tom Lehman. This was the longest-running tournament on the PGA Tour without a playoff. Bhatia's win was his third on the PGA Tour, and all three have been decided in a playoff. Bhatia's performance included a remarkable back-nine charge where he shot five-under-par, including four consecutive birdies and a near-albatross on the 16th that led to an eagle. This surge was necessary to catch Daniel Berger, who had held the lead for the entire tournament and was seeking to be the first wire-to-wire winner at Bay Hill in a decade. The 24-year-old set a new PGA Tour record for the best strokes gained short game (a combination of strokes gained around the green and putting) in a victory since the ShotLink era began in 2004. He gained over 16 strokes on the field with his short game and putting, surpassing the previous record held by Patrick Reed. In fact, Bhatia led the field in several statistical categories, including Strokes Gained: Total, Strokes Gained: Putting, and Birdies. This victory at a PGA Tour Signature Event earned Bhatia a $4 million winner's check from the $20 million purse. The win also came with 700 FedEx Cup points, which propelled him to the number two position in the FedEx Cup Standings. As the winner, Bhatia received the traditional red cardigan sweater, a tribute to Arnold Palmer that started in 2017.
